ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the overview on the physics and modeling of DNA-based molecular components that have a potential for use in realizing DNA-derivative architectures with a capability for executing long-wavelength-based bio-sensing. In the sensor concept, a known single strand of DNA is to be bonded to Silicon nano-probes. Synthetic DNA-derivative architectures with sensitivity to terahertz (THz) and/or far-infrared (far-IR) signals are of interest because many biological molecules possess unique spectral fingerprints in the far-IR and THz frequency regimes. Resonant far-IR spectroscopy is a common technique for the characterization of biological (bio) molecules. The chapter discusses a novel concept for using biological architectures to enhance and multiply the available THz spectral fingerprints in DNA molecules. Once DNA-based biological molecule switches are identified that exhibit multiple stable conformation states with differing THz and/or far-IR spectral signatures, it will be necessary to determine energy-space pathways that can be used to make transitions between these conformational states by the application of light-based excitations.
